Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-23
S. GORDON.
Friday, September "a, 1857.
THE LAW AND THE STOCK MEN.

THE LAW AND The STOCK MEN.
The outlawed condition Of the stock
rangers is again emphasized by the re-
cent order for the prosecution Of a
number of them in Montana for occu-
pancy Of the public domain. We are
glad that prosecutions are to be pushed
for it seems that In no other way IAN
the attention of the country be called
to the need Of throwing legal protec-
ton around the second greatest indus
try west of the Missouri. We have
already pointed out how the land laws
have favored the agriculturalist, the
miner and the lumberman, while lesv-
ing the granger to push his interest
against the law. =.
In the grazing country. which is
embraced within the arid and noun
famous belt from the Rio Grande IT,
the Columbia, are tens of millions Of
scresa that will be always pastoral.
They bear no timber, they hide no
min eral. they offer no kindness to the
plowman. They nourished great
herds Of buffalo, elk and antelope in
their natural state, and these have
been exchanged for sheep and cattle.
Yet the law permits these pastoral
lands to be acquired by citizens only
as timber, mineral or agricultural in
their nature, and they are neither.
True, limited areas have been taken
under the desert land act, but its re-
strictions are such as to probably
rant the vacating Of such patents. As
these lands conform In character to
neither of the classes recognized by
law. their occupants are outlawed.
They are trespassers upon the public
domain. They are guilty of q crime
In substituting cattle aud sheep for
buffalo and elk, although the substitu-
ton produced food for millions,
created a great export trade in Ameri-
can meats, made work for ship build.
ers. employment for sailors and steve
dores, aud profits for ship owners and
helped turn the balance of trade in our
favor.
The federal land officers heretofore
have connlved at the outlawry Of this
interest by allowing its illegal ten.
antry of the public domain, aud so this
pastoral industry has grown In the
shadow of Justice until enforcement Of
the law, rs 1t Is, means ruin to so
many, as to almost import q financial
panic in the country.
With the facts before il, Congress
should moi hesitate to amend the land
laws so that distinctive pastoral lands
can be acquired as such in the large
tracts in which they nave been natur-
ally distributed.
Ii 1, idle demagoguery to deny to the
graziers the same protection which the
law extends farmers, miners and lum-
bermen. The present administration,
If it do nothing else deserving the
gratitude of the west. will receive sup.
port, because IL has demonstrated that
things cannot be permitted to 60 on az
they are. The law forbids that utility
which the graziers have 30 beneicially
developed in the pastoral lands. The
administration enforces the law. II
cannot change mol soften It. That is
the duty OF Congress.
Ifthere be doubt as to the character
OF pastoral lands anywhere, let the law
provide for their use under a leasehold
by the graziers, while, when their
character and the climate are infiexi.
bly, fixed, let them pass by purchase Ia
the private owner. We have no doubt
that the lands in Montana, whose lille.
gal occupancy Is about TO be punished,
are incapable of any other utility than
the production of cattle. The east may
renew Its agonies about 'home for the
people," but we who are In contact
with these deserts and mountaiss
know what hopeless and idiotic roi
that is. There are no people on earth
who would try and found homes ON
such lands as are usually occupied by
the graziers. II Is simply u question
between beef and buffalo. The law ID
for the buffalo and against the beef.
The executive has to enforce the law
until Congress draws its senses TO.
gether, and makes the change re.
quired TO emancipate the greatest
mest-food producing interest on tn,
planet. Alta.
A FEMALE evangelist In Indiana Il
telling the girls that not five men 10